Ratchet attachment for tools



July 21, 1925. 1,541093v L. A. BURCH RATCHET ATTACHMENT FOR TOOLS Filed Dec. 7, 1922 Patented July 21, 1925.

UNITED .PATE f'rj OFFICE.

LAwanrTCEv mennen, or ,JAMESTOWN YORK.,

' 'l i v RATCHEF'ATTACHMENT roaTooLsh" Application filled December 7, 1922.y Serial o. 605,458.

To all whom t may/concern l i Y Be it known thatI,- LAWRENCE A. BURCH', a citizen of the UnitedlA States, residing at Jamestown, in the countyfof Chautauqua and State of New York, have `invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ratchet` Attachments `for Tools, ofWhich the following is a specification.

The present invention relates primarily to improvements in ratchet attachments `for tools of various types by means of Vwhich partial rotation may be made effective in impelling the working implement where full turns may not be obtained.

The main object in view is the provision of a simple unitary device which is capable of application to tools at any point between the lever and the bit or other instruments for doing the work. In this connection it will be understood that the tool as a whole may vary in form so that the specific embodiment which is hereinafter disclosed is merely illustrative of the adaptation of the attachment, reference being more particularly made to a'companion application for my improvements in combination tools, filed December 7, 1922, Serial Number 605,457, forfurther exempliications of its utility.

Reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a slde elevation of a brace form of operating tool to which my kratchet attachment is applied; p

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the ratchet attachment alone; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views on the lines 3-3 and 4 4, respectively, of Fig. 2.

,Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all of the views of the drawing, v.by like reference characters.

The device which forms the subject matter of this invention is in the nature of n a small unitary article having relatively few parts but capable of application to tools for the purpose of obtaining a ratchet movement of the working implement in forward Y or reverse directions, as the case may be. The attachment comprises a body member 1, having a longitudinal bore therethrough which forms at one end a -socket 2 into which the male extremity of the operating Voperating device a brace-like implement tool, such as shown in Figure 1y of the drawing, may be inserted. At the opposite end of the bore is arranged a stuby slraft 3 having fixed there@ a collar e termed. on its inner end with Vannular teeth l5,`there fore I' constituting a 'ratchet wheel. v.The shaft and wheel are Vretained within the body'by the bushing 6 snugly ittingwithin the enlarged portion of the bore oppositethe. end

ofthesocket2. y Y Y 'The body .1 is provided 'with a lateral opening 7 communicating with the'bore'and in this opening` is. pivotally secured a pawl 8 formed at one end with a finger-piece 9 by means of which the pawl maybe rocked Vabout its pivot 10. The pawl is provided with a pair of spaced teeth 117 arranged so as Vto lie at opposite sides of the p-ivot 10,

these teeth being engageable with the ratchet wheel to hold the same against movement in one direction or the other, depending upon which of the teeth is in interlocking engagement. Y n

1 To hold the pawl in its coacting relation to the ratchet wheelI apply to the body a yieldable pressure producing member or spring 12 detachably secured by a screw 13 so as to extend over the lateral opening 7.

The free extremity of this spring is bent into substantially V-shape formas indicated at 14.- so as to coact with one side or the other of a projection 15 on the pawl 8. The body is preferably provided with oil openings 1a extending therethrough for suitably lubricating the ratchet wheel.

In the operation of the device the shank of the operating tool is slipped into the socket 2 of the body and the pawl 8 is positioned so as to engage one or the other of the teeth n 11 with the ratchet wheel, depending upon y whether forward or reverse movement 1s to be imparted to the stub shaft 3. Preferably this shaft is formed with a springpressed ball 16 for maintaining engagement with the working tool or implement after the manner shown in the companion application above referred to. In other words, the shaft may be slipped into a detachable socket of proper size when it is desired to v screw nuts u lon bolts or remove them from the same. r by proper coupling means the shaft may be connected to another type of working device such as a drilling bit or a screw driver, after the manner well known in this art.

In Fig. 1 I'have shown yas one form of comprising the shank sections 17, 18 connected by a detachable grip-piece 19, a detachable head 20 being applied to one end the tool as a Whole to be changed in form` or the elements thereof arranged in a compact manner for shipping purposes or the like. The features of the implement, however, form the subject matterwofthe application above referred to and, therefore, are 'not Ispecifically claimed herein.`

Having thus described my invention, what I claimias new and desire to securexby Letters Patent, is:

As an article of manufacture, a ratchet at.- tachment for tools comprising va body recessed at one side Withy ai peripheral slot communicating with Said recess and having a. socket at .the opposite side for a tool connection, a collar projected beyond the body and having a tool-engaging shank at one end and a ratchet head at the opposite end seated in the recess of the body with an intermediate elongated bearing Surface extended from Saidbody, a bearing sleeve disposed in said body to project therefrom and Surround said bearingsurface, a reversible pawl transversely pivoted Within the peripheral slot in the body and having opposite'teeth `to engage said ratchet head, and a spring disposed concentric to theouter face of the body and bearing upon a projectionon said pawl vintermediate of its teeth to retain it in either position.

In. testimony whereof I, ailiX my `signature. 1

LAVRENCE A. BURCH. 

